Port Stephens

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Hello peoples its El here, I know its been a while we been so busy travelling and sitting on beaches and all that stuff that we now have the lovely task of catching up on the blogs, so it continues....

We left Sydney and decided to stop off at Port Stephens on the way to Byron Bay, partly to break up the long travelling and also cos I had heard of dolphins on the beaches here.
So after 2 hours on the greyhound bus to Newcastle it was then another 2hours on the local coach to Port Stephens. When we arrived at our accomedation we was nicely suprised, it was in a camp site in a forest area, with cabins and tents for accomedation. We was given the choice of a dorm in the cabin or a tent with a double bed so we chose the tent. It was a nice expericance we where only there for one night but at least I can say I camped out in oz. So the beach was located 5 minutes away, and town was another bus ride away so it was off to town in search of Dolphins, we manged to get onto a boat cruise that afternoon which took you out into the bay looking for them. And surely enough we got our money's worth we saw one pod of wild dolphins only tho. Now although we saw them I still want a closer look so I shall be in search of more as we continue around Oz.

Back at the hostel we got to meet Josephine, the baby Joey. The people running the hostel were looking after her as she was orphaned when her mother was shot dead during a culling in the forest. She was so lovely she slept most of the time as babies do but she occasionally poppeed out to play and have her bottle.

That evening back at the tent we had some dinner and chilled out under the stars it was then time for an early night as we had anearly start ahead.

Oh yeah, an early start to go and sign up for the sandboarding trip organised by hostel. There are sand dunnes near by, they are moving sand dunes, over time the wind has been pushing these dunes along the coast.
So we got into the army pick up trucks they have, 6 people in each and was told to put on our seat belts and make sure there on tight. At that time I foiund this quite funny, but then soon realised why it was. When we reached the dand dunes, it was one bumpy rollercoaster ride, actually it was bumpier then a roller coaster. it was alot of fun and scary at the same time, the driver actually need a separate liscence to drive there. So we stopped and was told to get to the top of the dune, they told us what to do and then one by one people started to sit in the board and surf there way down. I loved it it was such fun really cool going down, but then you have to make your way back up, and oh boy this was the hardest walk ever, you think nice soft sant looks lovely, so why so dam hard to walk up! Anyhoo I had another go and then coud'nt bare the trek back up again so after catching my breath I decided to get the camera out and take some pics instead. Dave was on his third trip down so I watched as he got half way down then toubled the rest of the way as he somehow steered himself the wrong way and tipped over!

After all that excitement we spent a few hours on the beach before having to get the afternoon bus back to Newcastle where we had a 5 hour wait for the greyhound bus to Byron Bay.

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Photos

Sandboarding
Here is Dave about to sand board his way down the dune.

Sandboarding 2
Here is Dave half way down after his tumble!

pod of dolphins
These are swimming in the harbour at Port Stephens.

Comments

[Bhav]

Nimbin
Dave, Did you make it over to Nimbin when you were at Byron Bay???

[stewster]

denmark
yeah, not bad. but denmark had davey falling over!